‘If the snow has melted, the place is cranking’: A beginner’s guide to Summit County’s skateparks
Joe Kusumoto/Town of Frisco
It is no secret that Summit County is filled with adventurous people. From residents who spend their weekend deep in the backcountry to guests who travel hours to hunt for wildflowers or hike a top-rated trail, Summit County is full of exploration.
While Summit is most known for its world-class ski resorts and attracts millions of visitors for mountain biking, hiking and sailing, many people forget that the area is also home to bucket-list-worthy skateparks offering jaw-dropping views.
Filled with people both young and old, the skateparks help scratch people’s adventurous itch between ski seasons and help add variety in an adventure itinerary. They provide a space for everyone to try something new, hone skills or just enjoy skating in the High Country.
Silverthorne Skatepark
The Silverthorne Skatepark, located within Rainbow Park and next to the Silverthorne Recreation Center, was built in the late 1990s by Team Pain.
“It was in our 1996 master plan for Rainbow Park,” Silverthorne Recreation Center programs manager Mindy Nicholds said. “In ’97 we had the site plan approved, and in ’98 we got awarded the (Great Outdoors Colorado) grant from the Colorado Lottery.”
By 2000, Team Pain completed the 16,000-square-foot skatepark. Almost immediately, the park served a growing population within the Silverthorne community.
“Back then there was definitely a little bit of a demand,” Nicholds said. “There was a group of I think 70 skaters who got together and were advocating for it. It was a full community event to make it happen.”
Since the skatepark has opened, it has provided a space for skateboarders, bikers, roller skaters and scooter riders of all ages. The skatepark sports a variety of features including a square bowl with a spine, a pyramid, ledges and a quarter pipe wall with coping.
In 2018, Silverthorne completed some improvement work at the skatepark that moved the pavilions at Rainbow Park closer to the skatepark so riders could have shade and a place to sit during the warmer months.
Beyond providing a diverse skatepark where people can showcase and grow their skills, Silverthorne offers several skateboarding programs.
“Over the years, we have done skate camps, skate jams and skate competitions,” Nicholds said. “This summer, we plan to offer our little skater program. That is for our little guys, the 4 to 5 year olds.”
Additionally, Silverthorne plans to offer youth skateboard camp, adult skateboard clinics and a women-only skateboard camp.
For more details about the Silverthorne Skatepark, visit Silverthorne.org.
Breckenridge Skatepark
Similar to Silverthorne, the Breckenridge Skatepark is located next to the town’s recreation center near the heart of downtown.
Covering 0.4 of an acre and featuring an 11-foot bowl, a snake run, a beginner bowl, an advanced bowl and a skateable mine cart, the skatepark provides features for skaters of all levels and ages.
“From all the skateboarders that I know that utilize the park, they have been really pleasantly surprised when they come to Breckenridge and find such an elevated park with the ability to do any kind of skating that you prefer,” Breckenridge outdoor recreation coordinator Jane Horton said.
Although the Breckenridge Skatepark has features for every skater, biker or scooter rider, the town will be working to improve to the skatepark throughout the 2025 summer season.
According to Horton, the improvements will add to the northeast section. The project will include an expansion of the street-style area of the park as well as the addition of a beginner-specific area.
“Currently, we really try to make sure that the park is available to our program participants during the program hours of the summer. ” Horton said. “The beginner specific area will really allow a safe area for those beginner skaters to practice and feel comfortable and develop their skills.”
The expansion project is expected to cause intermittent closures throughout the summer months. People hoping to use the park can check BreckenridgeRecreation.com for updates on construction and closures.
The Breckenridge Recreation department offers several skateboarding programs throughout the spring and summer that are often instructed by former pro-level riders. Breckenridge also hosts the Kingdom of Breck Am Jam in the late summer, which often attracts local and visitor competitors of all ages.
For more information, visit BreckenridgeRecreation.com.
Frisco Skatepark
The Frisco Skatepark provides one of the most unique skateboarding opportunities in the county.
Located on the Frisco Peninsula and a part of the Frisco Adventure Park, the skatepark allows people to cruise and take breaks to explore the trails that make up the peninsula, play a round of disc golf or do some tricks at the nearby bike park.
“If the snow has melted, the place is cranking,” Frisco Adventure Park general manager Erin Socks said. “… What is pretty cool about our location, as well being central in the community, is that we have a lot of parents who go on a bike ride while their couple of kids hang out and skate for a couple hours.”
The Frisco Skatepark completed a major remodel in 2019 that completely changed the experience. The remodel expanded the area to three times the original size, and it now spans 28,000 square-feet of jumps, bumps, bowl pockets and transition areas.
“We added a better variety of features — street elements like ledges, rails, stair sets, banks and just some better transition features too,” Socks said. “The layout was an important piece. It was designed (by Evergreen Skateparks LLC) to improve flow and make it easier to link tricks.”
Described as “a lunar landscape,” “flowing” park by Evergreen founder Catherine Coulon, buzz about the park quickly spread throughout the state and country, attracting skaters of all ages. Today, the Frisco Skatepark continues to be a hot spot for professional skateboarders and snowboarders, seasoned adults and people just starting out.
“We are honored that they see the value in what we have out here,” Socks said. “That (pro riders) are able to come enjoy just like everyone else, but they are doing it right here in Frisco. We have had skaters that have reached out to use or tagged us on our town of Frisco Instagram page to just showcase what they are doing.”
Now 5 years old, the Frisco Skatepark will perform a series of maintenance projects like concrete resealing over the next year or two. The town is also looking to move the seating area to outside of the park in order to improve safety.
Frisco offers skateboard programs in the spring, summer and fall. For more information on programming and the skatepark, visit TownOfFrisco.com.
Although all of the outdoor skateparks in Summit County are free and open to the public, Copper Mountain Resort offers a premier indoor skateboarding facility via its Woodward Copper Barn.
Located a few yards away from the entrance to Copper’s Center Village, the Woodward Copper Barn is a 19,400 square foot facility that feature multiple skate/scooter/bmx zones, indoor skiing and riding training, a springfloor, tumble track, five Olympic-grade flybed trampolines and one 12’x12′ Super Trampoline.
While it can be intimidating to try a new trick at a skatepark, the Woodward Copper Barn offers a safe space to try out flips and tricks before launching over a pad of pavement. With several foam pits, action sport enthusiasts have the opportunity to perfect their skills in the warmth of the heated Woodward Barn.
The Woodward Barn is open from Monday through Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. Those wanting to access the Barn can purchase a drop-in 2-hour session pass for $64 or buy a season barn pass for $369.Barn parties and groups start at $469.
For more information on the Woodward Copper Barn and the programs it offers, visit CopperColorado.com.
This story previously published in the summer 2025 edition of Explore Summit magazine.
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